God, food & love (spiritual blog series)

It is worth noting that:

"Why our brains may deny it our hearts know that love is proof of God"

"It is insanity to run from God and search for love"

....I think we have all been guilty of ignorance toward one of these above statements at some point in our lives....


having said that I want to tell you a story:

*(1) "This is the story of God: he pursues you with his love and pursues you with his love ,and you have perhaps not said yes. And even if you reject his love, he pursues you even still. It was not enough to send an angel or a prophet or any other, for in issues of
love, you must go yourself, as God has come. This is the story of Jesus, that God has walked among us and he pursues us with his love. He is very familiar with rejection but is undeterred. And he is here even now, pursuing you with his love."

GOD IS LOVE

GOD IS PASSIONATE....for love is never passive, but always passionate; and passion always leads to action

their is only ONE reason for God to come himself and it is because in issues of the heart, you can't just have someone else stand in for you*

consider these verses from Song of Songs-

"At night on my bed, I looked for the one I love;
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
I got up and went around the city,
In the streets and squares,
looking for the one I love.
I looked for him, but I could not find him.
The watchmen found me as they patrolled the city,
so I asked, 'Have you seen the one I love?'

Solomon is describing the desperation that comes when we seem unable to capture the heart of the one we love. I wonder if it ever occurs to us that God feels like this. But if God's love is immeasurable and unending, as the Hebrews describe him, how deep and profound must be his sense of sorrow and rejection. If anyone knows the pain of a love unreturned, it must be God.



{LOVE & FOOD}-

*(2)I am not sure if any of you watch competitive speed eating. any? Well, speed eating isn't really my thing either, but for Kobayashi it pretty much is the pinnacle of a Career, fun and in some ways life. Kobayashi broke hot dog eating contest around the world. In 2006 he ate over 53 hot dogs in 12 minutes to set a new world record! In 2007 he ate 63 and lost mind you! (the winner ate 66 just to let you know) Kobayashi is also the reigning champion of the crystal square off World hamburger eating championship and the glutton bowl, and the alka - seltzer US open of eating in 2005. Before Kobayashi eats he expands his stomach by eating large amounts of food. Every day he consumes around or above 6,000 calories and excercises to burn the excess fat off. Despite all the eating he maintains around a 6% bodyfat level!!! (just to note Kobayashi is aided by a medical condition called "gastroptosis" which allows his stomach to expand below his rib cage)

I think Kobayashi has much to teach us all about Christianity. Think about this, What would happen if we took in as much spiritual food as Kobayashi takes in phyisical food? Would we all just pop? How large is a "spiritual stomach" in the first place? Do we daily expand our "spiritual stomachs" in an effort to hold more than we did the day before? Is it a sin to be a spiritual glutton? What if we really did say to ourselves...."Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that come forth from the mouth of God." ....How much could things really change?? Hmmm???

ask yourself this:

"Are you hungry for God or are you full of yourself? What are your spiritual disciplines? Why aren't you praying, fasting and listening to God like you should? Do you ever even weep for the world?"

....The answers to these questions might surprise you, I know I surprise myself when confronted with accountability! It is amazing what we will do to try to justify the things that we say and do even when we know that we have no business lying to ourselves or pretending. (by the way lying and pretending only make your problems worse, just saying from personal experience)*

{To the point of things}-
If we stop to think about it once we secure the thought in our mind that God IS love we still have yet to establish what love is and what love is not! We still have to establish what the attributes synonymous with love REALLY are. I have been thinking about this and while this is just a partial list I believe what I am about to say will get that ball of intelligence known as your brain in thinking motion for a moment or two.


{God}-

God = Love
&
Love =????

PASSION
INTIMACY
COMPASSION
SYMPATHY
FAITHFULNESS
GRACE
ZEAL (dedication)
MERCY
FOGIVENESS
ACTION
(among many other attributes)

This blog will be the first of many geared toward What love is. We can attribute all above ten characteristics to God in their perfected form through Jesus Christ. In the coming days and weeks I will be breaking down these attributes and studying them in order to post more blogs so that you and I may hopefully come to a greater understanding of just who the person of God really is. (Also worth noting is the fact that God is not only loving, and merciful...but also the God of justice who hates unrighteousness) --I will be posting a blog on that subject later though after some recent heavy reflection on Jonathan Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the hands of an angry God"



***some ideas and or statements taken from Erwin Raphael McManus's "Soul Cravings" and Christian George's "Sex, Sushi & Salvation"